Hi, Praveen, nice to get your suggestion. Thanks. What we want is to find the specific protein target, if it surely takes effect by binding membrane receptor. At present, we don't know yet how it functions: go through cell membrane directly into cytoplasm or just signal the cells by binding with cell membrane receptor? Can you lend us a hand giving us your wise advice? Looking forward to your positive response. Many thanks.
GSEs (grape seed extracts) is a complex mixture of several compounds, mostly represented by polyphenols and phenolic acids, among which two main classes of procyanidins. Overall, GSE exerts a wide range of pleiotropic effects (higher than those obtained by summing the effect of each, single component). Thus, several targets have been so far recognized (see for a review: Dinicola et al., J Carcinog Mutagen 2014, S8). No specific procyanidins membrane receptors have been identified till now: indeed, most GSE components are highly lyphophilic and are consequently thought to travel freely across the cytoplasmic membrane (even if complex procyanidins, i.e. with> 3 subunits interacts with membrane lipid rafts; see: Verstraeten S.V., et al. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 1828 (2013) 2646–2653).
Yet, to our my knowledge, no systematic study dealing with that matter (procyanidins absorption by cells) has been so far published. It would be of great interest thoroughly investigating it.
Dear Dr. Bizzarri, Nice to get your detailed direction, suggestion and encouragement! If we come across unexcepted questions during our research, we will ask you for help!Thank you very much! Best regards!
Dear Dr. Mariano, We can't find the full review by Dinicola et. al., published in J Carcinog Mutagen 2014, S8, would like to share it with us? Many thanks!